Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-02-12

had no knowledge; yet be was perhaps moro
startled than be would own to himself when,
one December day, be received this dispatch:
sCome to Washiugtcn at once.-Carmen
Do Halo."
sCar1nen De HaroIr I grievc to state TINT
such was the preoccupation OF this man,
elected by fate to be the hero Of the solitary
amatory episode Of this story, that for q
moment he could not recall her. When the
honest little figure that had 60 manfully stood
up against him, and had proved her sex by
Afterwards running away from him, came
back at last to his memory, ho was at first
mysti1cd and then sclfrcproachful. IIc had
been, he felt vaguely, untrue to himself. 11e
had been rcmiss to the self-confessed daughter
Of his enemy. Yet why should she telegraph
to him, and what was she doing in Washing
toni To all these speculations It IS to DO said
to his credit that he looked for nj sentimental
O romantic answer. Royal Thatcher was
naturally modest and elfdcpreciating In his
relations to the other sex, as indeed most men
who are apt to be successful with women
generally are, despite q vast degree Of super
animated bosh to the contrary. To the half
dozen women who are startled by sheer au-
dacity into submission there are scores who
are piqued by a selt-rospoctful patience; and
where a woman has to do half the wooing,
she generally makes q pretty sure thing OF It
In his bewilderment Thatcher had over
looked q letter lying on his table. It was
from bis Washington lawyer. The conclud.
ing paragraph caught bis eye-"Pcrhaps It
would lie well II you came hero yourself.
Roscommon is here; and they say therci Is q
niece Of Garcia's, lately appeared, who Is
likely to get up q strong social sympathy for
the old Mexican. I don't know that they expect
to prove anything by hcr; but I'm told she Is
attractive and clever. and has enlisted the
sympathies Of the delegation" Thatcher laid
the lcttcr down q little Indignantly. Strong
men are quite os liable as weak women arc
to sudden inconsistencies on any question they
may have in common. What right had this
poor little bud he had cherished-he was quite
satisfied now that he had cherished her, and
really had suffered from her absence what
right had she to suddenly blossom In the sun
shine Of power to be, perhaps, pluckcd and
worn BY one of his enemies. IIe did not agree
with his lawyer TINT she was in any way con-
nected with his enemies; he trusted to her
masculine loyalty that far. But here was
something vaguely dangerous to tho feminine
mind-position, fattery, power. He was al
most AZ firmly satisfied now that ho had been
i wronged and neglected as he had been posi-
} tive q few moments before that be had been
re,niss In his attention. The irritation, al
though momentary, was enough to decide this
strong man. He autographed to San Fran
cisco; and, having missed the steamer, 80
cured an overland passage to Washington;
thought better of it, and partly changed Ills
/ mind an hour after the ticket was purchased;
but, manlike, once having made q practical
step III O wrong direction, be kept on rather
than admit all inconsistency to himself. Yet
he was not entirely satisfied that lis journey
was a business one. The impulsive, weak lit
tie Mistress Carmen had prudently scored
one against the strong man.
Only q small part Of the present great
! t~ranscontinental railway at this time had
been built, and was but piers at either ond Of
adesolate and wild expanse Is yet unabridged.
When the overland traveller left the rail at
Reno, he lefs, as It were, civilization with 1t;
and. until he reached tire Nebraska frontier,
the resi- Of his road was only the old emigrant
trail Travelled by coaches OF the Overland
company. Excepting a part Of "Dcvtrs Can
yon," tho way was unpicturesque and hat;
and tho passage Of the Rocky mountains tar
from suggesting the alleged poetry OF that
region. was only a reminder Of those sterile
distances Of O level New England landscape.
The Journey was q dreary monotony that
was scarcely cnlivcncd by Its discomforts,
never amounting to actual accident Or Incl
dent. but utterly destructive to all nervous
tissue. Insanity often supcrvcncd. the
third day out" said Hank Monk, driver,
speaking casually but charitably Of a "fare"
-"on the third day out, after axing no end
Of questions md getting no answers, he tool
to chewing straws that he picked outer
tho cushion. and kussin' to hisself. From
that very day l knew it was all over Will
him. and l handed him over to his friends at
SHY Ann,' strapped to tho back scat, and
rayin' and cussin' ut Ben Holiday, the gen
tlen,anly proprietor" It is presumed that
the unfortunate tourists Indignation was ex'
cited at the late Mr.. Benjamin Holiday, then
the proprietor Of the line-an evidence OF his
insanity that no ono who knew that large
hearted, fastidious aud elegantly.cultured
Californian, since allied to foreign nobility,
will for a moment doubt.
Mr.. Royal Thatcher was too old and expe
rienced q mountaineer to do aught but accept
patiently and cy,ically his brother califor
mans method Of increasing his profits. As II
was generally understood that any one whs
came from, California by that route had somt
dark design, the victim received little sym
pathy. Thatclmras cquahle temperament ant
indomitablc will stool him IN gouL stead, ane
helped him checrfully IN this emergency. FL
at, his scn,.t meals, and otherwise took care %
the functions of lis weak human nature. whcr
and where lie could, without gr1lmbling. a'u
at times earned even tho praise Of luis ullvel
by his ability to trough it" Which trough
ing it" by tho way, meant tho ability Ut 'h'
passengers to accept tho incomprtcnry of tn
company. 1t is true there wero tin,es when b.